The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-16
The Railway Disaster.

The previous computation of the total
number of persons on the wrecked train is
increased by four, making eighty-nine Two
persons, j. w. Moore of Everett, Mass,
and r. f. French of Hartland, had been
counted as on the train, making the total
ninety-one, but it is found that they left the
train at White River Junction. This made
the figures stand, up to Friday: Dead bodies
recovered, thirty-two; injured, thirty-sx;
known to have gone north on trains, twelve;
returned home, five; missing, four total,
eighty-nine. Unidentified dead, nineteen.
1t is claimed, however. that the number of
lives actually lost is only thrty-one. One box
supposed to contain a body has been closely
examined and the contents found to be
mass of charred clothing and so nut upon
the shelves Another box has been decided
to contain small pieces from several bodies,
instead of the remains of one person, and so
set out of the list. The search for bodies
was completed last week Tuesday afternoon,
all the ruins having been entirely cleared
up and moved away at that time.
Herbert A. Thayer of Chateaugay n. Y,
is probably among the dead, as his watch,
pOcket-book and cap We're found in the
ruins. The body of Miss Delima Brodeur
of Nashua, n. H., was identified, as also the
body of Henry Brooks of Boston. G.. G. Dom
EFT of the Maverick Bank, Boston, who was re-
ported killed or missing, escaped and testified
before the railroad commission. Mrs Edgar
Blaisdell of Fitchburg, Mass, reported miss
ing, arrived safely in Montreal. Peter
Cadieux of Rockville, Ct, was on the train,
but his remains have not been identified.
The remains of James A. Stone of Burling-
ton We're identified and were taken home,
where the funeral occurred Friday He
was member of Company l, Sixth Yer
mont Volunteers, in the war, and leaves a
wife and four children. Conductor Sturte-
want leaves wife and eight children. His
funeral occurred at st. Adams last week
Tuesday and was largely attended by the
railroad people and others. Conductors
Frank Flint, Murray, Danforth, McIlvain,
Willett and Remington served as pail
bearers. The report that the wife of ex-
Governor Horace Fairbanks was on the
train was wholly destitute of foundation.
1t was reported that David Dodds of North
Hero and Homer Riggs of Middlebury were
on the train, but the latter was not and
the former came on later train. Agnes
Rogers of Springfield, Mass, was probably
one of the victims. The body of George Bell
of Bellows Falls was recognized and taken
home.
THE INVESTIGATION.
A. G. BEAN, roadmaster of the Central
Vermont, testified after the accident,
when coming to the bridge, | saw the rails
torn out of position, some being bent; the
first rail was broken off nineteen feet seven
inches from the south end, whole length of
rail being thirty feet. The rails were rolled
at ST. Adams from blooms brought from
Germany; were of Bessemer steel and laid
five years ago; steel rails are in use here
now that have been rolled twenty years. In
finding two or three breaks | think ii i'm
possible to tell which broke first, or whether
one caused the other or not; don't think but
two places show marks of wheels before
reaching the bridge; should say these were
made by the forward trucks of the car, be-
cause of peculiarities of marks. Consider
able marks were made by one pair of trucks,
and 1t would be easy to distinguish if more
than one set were Oft; If there were two
sets of trucks they would not track any
one can see that the rear end of a train
sways around more than the other; think
both pairs of trucks got Off the track before
reaching the abutment two tracks shown
by marks are only six or seven inches from
each other. The cars unshackled after the
cars struck the ice, which explains fully the
reasons for such a theory, because of the
present position. think the second car was
on the truck till the last car dropped from
the bridge; the rear car turned over as soon
as 1t left the abutment. There is no doubt
| in my mind but the car turned over when it
| left the abutment, while the other three cars
We're on the track, turning over the rest or
drawing them after One broken journal
shows the wheels to have gone oil both
sides of the bridge; one wheel and journal
lay west OF the bridge, not at all smoked or
burned, while the corresponding set lay ON
the other side. l think that the journal is
what threw the car from the track and that
from the place of the broken rail TO the
bridge it was held in place by the hawsng'
The west rail shows marks Of hard scratch
ing on the ball of the rail, which could not
be done by the engine slipping, as no engine
had passed over II since the accident. From
finding safety jack | am sure that the
axle broke fifteen feet before the broken
rail. Some fragments of rail have been
brought away by curiosity but none
have been removed with my consent. The
broken axle is a common four-inch journal
it is of wrought iron, wheels pressed by by
draulc pressure The truck was six-wheel
truck and the broken journal was in the